Chapter 2 Slash

My grip on Molly tightened. Someone hurt her. They fucking hit this sweet girl and bruised her face. It wasn’t a slap or some accidental shove. They. Fucking. Hit. Her.

I had enough bruises on my face in the past to know only a punch could darken the skin on her cheek like that. A fist with enough force to have an impact. My teeth clenched as I tried to keep the rage inside from unleashing and frightening the fuck out of her and Embry.

My fingers seemed to have a will of their own as I pulled Molly’s body toward mine. I couldn’t stop staring at the purplish mark that marred her soft skin. She was so fair. I didn’t have a fucking clue why she insisted on lounging in the sun until she turned tomato-red. She didn’t have the same complexion that we did in my family—Italian roots. The sun bronzed our skin. We tanned without effort.

But Molly? She was already pink, even with sunscreen. I could smell the cocoa butter and coconut oil on her skin. Fuck. I loved the scent of her. It mixed with the light citrus and sweet fruity smell that always clung to her skin. Fresh. Clean. Irresistible.

Fucking delicious.

And so damn irresistible. That was why I kept a distance from her. She was too damn tempting. A sweet, tasty little sheep for the wolf to hunt and devour. I swore I wouldn’t come back here and fucking stalk her house, hang out in the street, and watch her from a distance, but I should have gotten closer.

Seeing that bruise enraged me. I had to know who dared to touch her. She might not be mine, but she had my protection.

“Tell me,” I growled as Embry’s big green eyes widened.

My cousin looked ready to burst into tears. Shit.

“Molls. What happened?”

“You didn’t see this bruise before now?” I asked, not bothering to hide my annoyance.

“Have you seen how bright it is out, Slash? Or are you too busy feeling up my best friend to notice it’s near impossible to notice shit right now with that glare coming off the pool? Besides, she had makeup on. I think it washed off when we went swimming.”

Molly sighed. “You can both calm down. Really. I’m f—”

“Don’t you finish that sentence.” Embry rushed to Molly’s side. “Tell me it wasn’t Fred.”

Fred. That fucking worthless piece of shit. I knew he was an asshole. I’d heard about the shit he got mixed up in. Drugs, mostly. I knew he got in debt with the Guererro cartel, but that wasn’t my problem.

Until now.

I’d never been given a reason to worry that he mistreated Molly. No one said shit. No rumors. Well, I heard conflicting gossip about Molly’s older sister, Lark. And her oldest sibling, her brother, Torin. We didn’t move in the same circles. He worked with the feds. I lived life outside the law.

Of course, I didn’t live here anymore so that meant I didn’t have the same insight.

When I patched into the Feral Rebels after prospecting for my uncle, I left Las Vegas behind and never had any intention of coming back.

To visit, sure. To live? Hell no.

But then I returned last summer to see my aunt and cousin. I didn’t expect to meet Molly or be slapped in the face with the attraction I felt for a beautiful woman fifteen years younger than me. It should feel wrong. It didn’t.

Holding her felt too fucking right.

Molly shook her head and refused to answer.

I tilted her chin up so I could stare into her eyes, hoping to make her cooperate. “Tell us.”

Tears filled her eyes, and I shook with fury. Someone was hurting her, and I’d fucking gut the bastard for it. I just needed confirmation.

“Molls. Don’t protect that asshole.” She reached for Molly, and I reluctantly released her, watching as the two young women embraced. “You never say anything. Why? We can help you.”

Molly shrugged. “I don’t want to be a burden.”

Embry pursed her lips. “This is different, Molls. It’s about your safety.”

“That’s right,” I growled, stepping closer because I hated the pain I could see in Molly’s hazel eyes. They could appear green or blue depending on what she wore or her mood. I learned that last summer. Right now? They were a stormy, turbulent sea. “We only want to help.”

She sighed. “I know.”

“So let us help,” Em pleaded.

“I’m really fine. Don’t worry.”

Denial. I’d seen it before. When people didn’t want to see a problem or deal with it, they pretended it wasn’t there.

I couldn’t judge Molly for that. She’d had a hard life, losing both parents at a young age and gaining that worthless shit as a stepfather.

I’d have to stalk her if Molly insisted on keeping this secret.

Yeah, I didn’t see anything wrong with that. She needed protection, and I could provide it—an easy solution.

And when whoever hurt her came back around, I’d fucking deal with them, even if it took longer than the week I planned to stay. Hades and Grave would understand.

Em saw the look on my face and nodded. Good. That would make things easier.

Molly’s stomach rumbled in the silence. Embry looped her arm through Molly’s and led her outdoors. I watched them head out back and sit under the shade, eating lunch. For a couple of minutes, I just stared, shifting through all the thoughts in my head, planning all the ways I’d fucking use my knife to make Fred suffer.

He had to be the one she was protecting. Why?

I grabbed the pitcher of iced tea and joined them, bringing three glasses with me. When I handed Molly a glass, our fingers brushed. It was fucking cliché, but I felt a spark. The kind of jolt you heard about in romance novels and movies but know couldn’t be real. I would fucking deny it out loud. Her touch made me a liar.

“Aren’t you hot in all those clothes?” Molly asked.

I only wore jeans, boots, a tee, and my cut. It wasn’t that much. “Nah. I’m good.”

She made me hot, not the fucking weather.

This sweet girl wore a red bikini underneath a white lacey coverup that tied around her waist and played havoc with my head as it fell open at her thighs, exposing her silken skin and gapped at her waist, putting her round, perky tits on display.

I had to make sure my mouth was closed so I didn’t fucking drool. Crazy. I saw more pussy, naked ass, and tits at the clubhouse on any given night than could compare to this. It didn’t seem to matter. Seeing Molly stripped to a tiny piece of fabric on the top and bottom did wicked things to my brain. My cock swelled in my jeans, and I fought the urge to adjust my dick.

Christ. I couldn’t stop staring at her either, catching my cousin’s stupid grin. She knew. She had to know how I felt about Molly. I never tried to hide it.

“So, Slash. Sticking around for a while, huh?”

Embry wasn’t as slick as she thought.

“Might be,” I answered without committing, but it didn’t seem to matter. Em saw through my pathetic effort not to appear too eager in front of Molly. I had two reasons for staying in Vegas: one, to find out who hurt her and make them pay, and two, to get to know her better because I wasn’t walking away without Molly knowing what I wanted.

Fuck. I guess I made that decision now.

“Good because I’m taking Molly out tonight, and we’ll probably need you as a bodyguard.”

I snorted.

She flashed me a devious grin. “Wait until you see the dress I have picked out for Molls. It’s to die for.”

All humor vanished. No. Fucking. Way. My gaze slid over Molly from head to toe, imagining a pair of fuck-me heels and a dress that barely covered her ass. Nope. She wasn’t going anywhere with my cousin.

“Not your choice what we do, Slash. You can stay or come with us. That’s it.”

Goddamn. Embry was a fucking pain in the ass.

“I know. You love me, Slash. I see it all over your face.”

She blew me a kiss—the witch.

I scowled, pulling my phone from the inside pocket of my cut when I felt it vibrate. Two texts: one from Hades asking me to check in, which I sent off with a quick reply, and the second from Gunner.

“Gunner and Havoc are at the clubhouse. Gotta roll, ladies.”

Em waved me off, sipping on her tea.

Molly’s lips curled into a sweet smile. “Bye, Slash.”

I leaned to the right, moving close to her ear. “I’ll see you tonight, sweet girl. Alright?”

She nodded as her cheeks darkened a shade of red. I fucking loved seeing her blush. My cock twitched with all the ways I could make her flush like that while I had her in my bed.

Sure, I was getting way ahead of myself. She wasn’t eighteen yet. It fucking stretched my patience, but I’d wait to fuck her. Kiss? Taste her pussy? Finger her until she cried out my name? None of those were off the table. There were ways to make her mine without giving her my dick yet.

The idea of taking my time and growing the anticipation turned me on. I’d never been with a woman this innocent, pure, or sweet. I’d fucked my way through every club whore in the clubhouse within my first month as a new patch.

Over the years, it got stale. The same used pussy that got passed around every fucking night, taking every dick in all her holes. Even the new girls didn’t take long to get broken in.

I didn’t fuck any of them. When it got too much, I’d let one of them suck me off. But since meeting Molly, I’d only let that happen a couple of times. For the last eight months, I’d beat my dick so often I was almost afraid it would fall off. Every time I came, I pictured Molly’s face with her soft smile and beautiful eyes. I was so fucking whipped by this girl, and she didn’t know it.

“Okay.”

She turned her head as I moved my mouth closer, intending to kiss her cheek. Instead, I met the glossy pillows of her lips, soft and sweet from the cherry lip balm she applied. I fought the urge to slip my tongue between them. My fingers caressed her jaw as I kept the connection longer than necessary, not deepening the kiss but also ensuring that she didn’t doubt I wanted it.

“We’ll pick this up later,” I murmured against her mouth. “I’ve got church.”

Her eyes widened as we parted.

“I’ll let Em explain.”

She nodded, looking a bit dazed.

I turned to Embry. “Keep it tame.”

She smirked. “Don’t I always?”

No. And now she’d probably show off more skin on purpose.

“Embry,” I growled.

“I know. Go, Slash.”

“I’ll be back later with Gunner and Havoc.” I pushed off the chair and stood, leaving the girls in the backyard as I headed out front, fired up my bike, and headed to the Las Vegas chapter’s clubhouse.